A 26-year-old Townsville wharf maintenance worker has been sentenced after police discovered a loaded, sawn-off rifle in his bag during a routine traffic stop, bringing an end to a drug-fuelled crime spree across the city.
Loaded firearm found during traffic stop
Joel John Ashby-Vaughan was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by police, who then located the illegal weapon. Inside his bag, officers found a loaded, sawn-off .22 calibre rifle wrapped in tape, alongside 18 rounds of matching ammunition.
Prosecutor Brandon Wood told the Townsville Magistrates Court that Ashby-Vaughan claimed he had found the firearm earlier that same night while walking a friend's dog near Kirwan State High School. The defendant asserted he would have surrendered the weapon to police if not for an outstanding warrant against him.
A spree of thefts and traffic incidents
Prior to the firearm offence, Ashby-Vaughan had been involved in a series of crimes linked to his methamphetamine addiction. In one brazen incident, he stole two pairs of Versace sunglasses valued at over $1000 from a Sunglass Hut store.
After pocketing the sunglasses, he reportedly asked staff if they performed repairs. An attendant confronted him, asking, "Like the ones you just pocketed?" Mr Wood told the court that while Ashby-Vaughan later claimed not to recall the theft, he was found wearing sunglasses matching the description of one stolen pair.
In a separate traffic incident, Ashby-Vaughan crashed his defective vehicle. After pushing the car to the roadside, he fled the scene. Police who attended found the front left wheel completely detached from the axle and all four tyres worn down to the threads.
When apprehended later, Ashby-Vaughan admitted to consuming 20 cans of bourbon and coke. He was arrested and taken to hospital, where he refused to provide a blood sample.
Sentencing and mental health factors
Defence lawyer Maria Christian informed the court that her client was employed in maintenance at the Townsville Wharf at the time of his arrest and still faces further matters in the District Court for an alleged robbery.
Ms Christian said Ashby-Vaughan had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and was in the grip of a methamphetamine addiction during his offending period.
Ashby-Vaughan ultimately pleaded guilty to a total of 20 charges, including:
- Stealing
- Assaulting police
- Public nuisance
- Drug possession
- Possessing a shortened firearm
- Multiple traffic offences
- Contravening police directions
- Breaching a probation order
On January 8, 2026, Magistrate Rosemary Gilbert sentenced him to 13 months' imprisonment with immediate parole. However, he remains in custody on remand for other pending matters. The court declared his 165 days of pre-sentence custody as time already served.
